Wednesday, February 28, 2007

I'm sitting here watching a fresh faced lad on Fox and Friends discussing yesterday's market correction. It's funny I look at this kid and have to laugh. He looks like he just got out of sixth grade and he is analyzing the market like he actually knew what was going on or something...he also looks a little scared.Back in October 87, I was part of that wall street crowd that was sitting at their trading desks, staring at their screens and watching the market in freefall. It lost 23% of it's value that day so yesterday doesn't look so bad. It was deja vu all over again as I watched yesterday afternoon's freefall and when I saw the time the nosedive started I knew that program trading was involved and once the programs kicked in, I also knew it was time to cross your fingers, say a prayer and stand back and hope that the systems would hold.They didn't.There was a glitch. Or two. The volume of trades processed was staggering. I read somewhere that 4 BILLION SHARES traded hands. The floor traders ended up having to use paper tickets to get trades done. This means that mountains of buy and sell orders backed up. Then the Dow Jones computers went on the lowdown and backup systems were deployed. Instant chaos resulted with a 200 pt drop in minutes, at one point plunging to over 540 points. One trader was quoted as saying "I was running around with old buy and sell orders like it was 1988!" This also means a lot of things came back as "Nothing Done."It must have been wild!1988. Hah. Dinah was there. And it was a freaking zoo back then.About those "nothing done" trades? Trades were reportedly cleaned up in an extended trading session with NYSE execs 'claiming a related and isolated' system problem. Today will be interesting to watch. The losses were real and the market value got scalped to the tune of over $600 bil. (What goes up must come down, people.)But I'm thinking it will be a positive open.

Two more of the scurvy bunch were rounded up by Puntland authorities yesterday when they came into town for supplies (like duh!) but the crew and ship remain under their control. Spooked by the arrests, the remaining pirates have hauled anchor and are now headed for an unknown destination.

There is no word on the status of the US warship heading to the area.Newsbusters has a great piece up here ripping the BBC's intellectually dishonest hooey on the situation in Somalia. A sample of their hooey:

Islamic rule was a stabilizing force in Somalia.

Oh, and about those Pirates? You can bet cash money they aren't of the Mennonite persuasion...

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Feb 27, 2007 - THE trial of a taxi driver accused of bludgeoning his wife and three young children to death with a rounders bat began today. Manchester Crown Court heard Rahan Arshad, 36, repeatedly clubbed his family with the weapon before he fled to Thailand.

The bodies lay undiscovered at their home in Cheadle Hulme, Manchester, for almost a month. When they were discovered, all the bodies were heavily decomposed. DNA traces from all the family members were recovered from the bat and blood samples were found on the Nike trainers Arshad was wearing when he was arrested.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Paul Reid QC told the jury that much of the evidence they would hear would be distressing. He detailed how the prosecution claims Arshad killed his wife Uzma Rahan, 32, sons Adam, 11, and Abbas, eight, and daughter Henna, six, last July because he suspected his wife of having an affair.

Mr Reid told the jury the couple had an arranged marriage in 1992. Their relationship hit the rocks around Easter 2003 because Arshad believed his wife was having an affair with a married man known as Nikki.

The court heard Uzma, who worked as a dinner lady, was from Pakistan and had moved to Manchester with her husband. Arshad was described as “jealous and possessive” and disapproved of her western style clothing.

In the day before the killings Arshad showered his wife with expensive gifts.

He told the family he had booked them a holiday in Dubai but in fact had bought them no tickets. Instead Arshad booked himself a ticket to Thailand departing on July 29. The murders were expected to have taken place on the night of July 28. Arshad was stopped on August 30 at the Thailand-Malaysia border by police. When interviewed he refused to answer questions but on January 26 this year he gave a defence statement to prosecutors.

Part of this statement claimed he had returned home on July 28 to find his children dead and he believed his wife had murdered them. Arshad claimed he was provoked into bludgeoning his wife with the rounders bat because she had murdered his children.

President Bush and Miami Heat owner, Micky Arison and the ever fabulous Pat Riley.Great shots of W and the Miami Heat at today's White House ceremony honoring last year's NBA Champs. (I think they're going to have a tough time this year with Dwayne Wade's shoulder problem and unfortunately at this time in his life Shaq is shaky, but I have always hearted Pat Riley. And about The Big Diesel? When Shaq and Kobe split and left my all time favorite team the Lakers, I followed Shaq to the Heat.)

The photos are courtesy of FReeper Extraordinaire and all around great gal, justanobody.

Pirates caught off Somali coastNairobi - Somali regional authorities said they had arrested four hijackers of a UN-chartered food aid ship, but four pirates were still in control of the MV Rozen off the Somali coast, the WFP reported on Monday...The scurvy dogs are now on the run...Authorities in the semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland arrested the men when they went ashore to buy supplies in the town of Bargal, the WFP said. The ship was anchored off the coast of northeastern Somalia on Monday, surrounded by local police boats, but it was now reportedly sailing southwards, the statement said.

US ambassador Robert Blake and Italian envoy Prio Mariani were hit by shrapnel from the attack at the Batticaloa airforce base as they got off a military helicopter, Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said.

Mr Samarasinghe had been with the pair when the attack happened.

Mr Mariani had a head injury and was taken to the main local hospital together with 11 others, hospital director Muruganathan Moorthy told AFP.

The US ambassador had minor injuries and was being flown to Colombo.Hoo-boy. This is rich. Update fromAdn Kronos: Tamil Tiger Rebels express regret for attack on ambassadors - blame Sri Lankan army for bringing them into the war zone without telling them!

During an operation in Baghdad, Coalition Forces captured a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq emir and three of his associates. Based on intelligence reports, these suspects are allegedly involved in the production of improvised explosive devices.

Also in Baghdad, Coalition Forces detained two suspected terrorists who have alleged ties to al-Qaeda in Iraq and anti-Coalition Forces activities.

Two suspected terrorists were detained during a raid in Mosul. Intelligence reports indicate the suspected terrorists have ties with an al-Qaeda terrorist who has coordinated attacks against Iraqi security and U.S. military personnel.

Another suspected terrorist was detained in Fallujah during a raid targeting foreign fighter facilitators.Coalition Forces detained two suspected terrorists in Tikrit who are believed to have links with terrorists involved in explosives shipments from other countries and facilitating the production of vehicle-borne IEDs.

In Ramadi, Coalition Forces netted a suspected terrorist who is allegedly involved in courier activities for al-Qaeda terrorists in Iraq.“These raids, taking place all across Iraq this morning show that Coalition Forces continue to make progress dismantling the terrorist networks,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson.

“The capture of these detainees reduces the ability of the terrorist networks to operate, and increases the safety of all Iraqi citizens, Iraqi forces, and Iraq’s Multi-National partners,” he said

Wait one cotton picking minute! I thought the evil George McChimpyBushHitlerburton was stealing it for us!! Just ask the moonbats! They'll tell you all about it.

From the journal of record the NYTIMES. (Let us bow down to their superior knowledge):

BAGHDAD, Feb. 26 — The Iraqi cabinet approved a draft of a law on Monday that would set guidelines for nationwide distribution of oil revenues and foreign investment in the immense oil industry. The endorsement reflected a major agreement among the country’s ethnic and sectarian political blocs on one of Iraq’s most divisive issues.The draft law approved by the cabinet allows the central government to distribute oil revenues to the provinces or regions based on population, which could lessen the economic concerns of the rebellious Sunni Arabs, who fear being cut out of Iraq’s vast potential oil wealth by the dominant Shiites and Kurds. Most of Iraq’s crude oil reserves lie in the Shiite south and Kurdish north.The law also grants regional oil companies or governments the power to sign contracts with foreign companies for exploration and development of fields, opening the door for investment by foreign companies in a country whose oil reserves rank among the world’s three largest.

There are more details at the article - details of how this will be accomplished are sketchy but it sounds to me like a big fat greasy money trough where corrupt politicians and sheiks will be feasting. The UN Oil for Food program comes to mind.

Monday, February 26, 2007

From The Jakarta Post:Authorities on Bali island have banned a film about the 2002 nightclub bombings, saying allowing the movie to be shown in cinemas there would reopen old wounds.

"It is still too soon for the Balinese to watch this," said I Gusti Ngurah Gede, head of the island's film censorship board, said Sunday. "In the opinion of the board, there is no benefit in showing the film now."

"Long Road to Heaven," which has been shown at cinemas elsewhere in Indonesia, offers an unflinching look at the bombings and the motivation of the Indonesian and Malaysian Islamic militants who planned and carried them out. It was produced by one of the country's most renowned filmmakers.

The Oct. 12, 2002, suicide attacks on two packed nightclubs killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, and forced authorities in the world's most populous Muslim nation to confront a militant fringe some had previously denied existed.

Gede said Balinese officials, religious leaders and relatives of the victims watched the film last week and most agreedit should not be shown out of fear it may cause tensions on the resort island.

Authorities of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in northeastern Somalia have threatened on monday that they would forcefully release the UN world Food Program chartered ship in which pirates hijacked it off Puntland coast yesterday.

Saed Mohamed Rage, the minister of ports and ocean resources in Puntland told the local media that his regional government is engaging efforts to free the ship and its crew which was anchored Bargal coast.

Mr. Rage added that Puntland would never discuss with the pirates over the hijacked ship saying that Puntland coast guard will find the pirates and free the ship without ransom. “We will not negotiate with the hijackers. We will use our force to free the ship,” he said.

He said if the pirates are caught, they would be brought before justice. Some reports say that Puntland coast guards with speedy boats surrounded the ship which is now in the international waters.

The ejection of an 11-year-old Muslim girl from a soccer game has reignited Quebec’s debate over reasonable accommodation for minorities, even prompting comments from Premier Jean Charest.

Quebec’s soccer federation said Asmahan Mansour of Ottawa was given the choice of taking off her hijab or not playing in a Sunday tournament in nearby Laval. It says the hijab violated a no-headgear rule set down by the sport’s governing body for safety reasons.

But others have slammed the referee’s decision, saying it’s just another example of how Quebec is trying to get immigrants to toe a cultural line. The Quebec Soccer Federation also confirmed the referee is a Muslim.

Oh! The Humiliation!Maria Mansour, the girl’s mother, was shocked and saddened by Sunday’s incident, which “humiliated” her daughter. She told CBC Radio that she thought the incident was racially motivated.

“Strongly, I do think so, because soccer is soccer whether it’s in Ontario or Quebec or Europe and it’s not right at all to not allow a Muslim girl who’s proud of her religion to play soccer, a sport she loves so much,” Mansour said. “It took a lot out of me to see my daughter in the middle being humiliated in front of a lot of people.”

The Muslim party line:The Muslim Council of Montreal said the Ontario Soccer Association allows players to wear religious clothing on the field and urged the Quebec federation to respect the religious rights of its players.

Oh, the absolute horror!“Asking minority groups to integrate cannot be equated with forcing them to assimilate and stripping them of their identity and rights,” said council spokesman Salam Elmenyawi.

The Montreal Muslim council also criticized Charest, saying he failed to address the issue properly and “sided with the decision of the referee.”

What nerve! Siding with decision of the referee as opposed to the decision of what? The Sharia courts? Feh.

I remember this day fourteen years ago because a friend of mine was having lunch at Windows of The World. She was heavily pregnant, eight months gone and ended up walking ALL THE WAY DOWN, breathing heavy, thick black smoke each step of the way. They kept her in the hospital for observation for a day, gave her some oxygen and pinked her up.

She and the baby were fine, thank God.

Just think about all the havoc caused by the Religion of Peace since then.

Saudi Arabia is studying the establishment of a nationwide system under which a supreme commission would be established to protect women and children from violence.The proposal, prepared by the King Khaled Charitable Society, has been forwarded by the Ministry of Social Affairs to the Council of Ministers, according to Dr. Maha Al-Muneef, president of the National Family Safety Program in the National Guard Hospital.“This system, if it is established, would have wide legislative powers to make laws and regulations to eradicate and combat violence against women and children,” she told Arab News.

Al-Muneef admitted that violence against women and children “was on the rise in the Kingdom.” I found these comments from the Arab Child Health conference revealing.

Dr. Samia Halileh from the Institute of Community and Public Health, Bir Zeit University in Ramallah, Palestine, presented a paper, “Violence and Negligence of Children in Occupied Palestinian Areas.”

She said physical abuse heads the list of problems among Palestinian children; it is followed by psychological, general and sexual abuse in that order.

Dr. Pamela Beih from Morocco said child abuse was rampant in the Arab world and blamed social taboos and local traditions.

It's so funny to watch these folks do everything but stand on their heads to avoid to calling it for what it is...

Four French nationals, some of them Muslims, were shot dead in Saudi Arabia on Monday in what appeared to be a militant attack, state television said.

It said a group of eight French nationals came under fire near the town of Tabuk in the northwest of the vast desert country as they were heading to the holy city of Mecca for a pilgrimage.

Two of the group died at the scene and two others died later in hospital, the report said. The group include four women and a child but it was not clear if they were among the dead.

Saudi Interior Ministry spokesmen were not available for comment.

Militants swearing allegiance to al Qaeda launched a violent campaign to topple the U.S.-allied Saudi monarchy in 2003, with suicide bomb attacks on foreigners and government installations including the oil industry.

There had been no major attacks targeting foreigners since 2004, when the campaign was at its height.

From theUK Telegraph: Radical Muslim preacher Abu Qatada today lost his appeal against deportation from Britain. The hardline cleric, believed to have close ties with Al-Qa'eda in Britain, will be sent back to Jordan after John Reid, the Home Secretary, won his legal battle against him.

Iran’s president said on Sunday the country’s enemies had hatched a range of plots to push the Islamic Republic to give up its disputed nuclear programme, including driving up the price of tomatoes and other food.

Mahmoud adds the bulldozer to his nuclear powered speeding train with no brakes arsenal in the fight against Iranian inflationery problems:

Of course, God willing, the problem of meat, chicken and tomatoes will be solved. One should be aware that our revolution is like a bulldozer ... the enemies think by throwing a few small stones and sand they can stop this bulldozer,” Ahmadinejad said.

Schoolchildren in Singita village, south Darfur, sing a song at the start of the school day. They sing, "Oh, bird, I am not a sniper, don't fly away from me." Perhaps strange words for a song for small children, but even the youngest in Darfur have witnessed unspeakable violence during four years of conflict in the region.

Violent attacks by Arab nomads known as janjaweed have terrorized this land since 2003.

But now the janjaweed are fighting among themselves AND fighting the Africans. The latest incident? A massacre in the village of Amar Jadeed. A day earlier in a neighboring (and different tribal) village four young boys were shot execution style as they slept.

AU peacekeepers drove 26 kilometers to the village(Amar Jadeed), but arrived at the scene of the attack several hours after it happened. The village was in ashes, with small fires still smoldering. Twenty nine bodies were stacked in the bed of a truck for burial in a nearby cemetery. Three young children had already been laid in the ground. Men sat astride camels preparing for another attack while women gathered in a group and wept.

About those AU peacekeepers? To use the immortal words of one former Wall Street bond trader, they're just about as 'good as tits on a trashcan'...Back at Amar Jadeed, African Union peacekeepers take notes for a report on the incident, but in the distance gunfire erupts again. The villagers, on their way to camps for the displaced in Kaas come fleeing back over the hills. The African Union peacekeepers run for their patrol trucks. Their mandate forbids them from stepping in between fighting forces. They are allowed to raise arms only in self-defense.

They argue over whether to go back to the village, but decide against it. The people of Amar Jadeed are left to their own fate.

What was the cargo? UN food aid.Gunmen wielding AK-47s stormed the Kenyan-owned MV Rozen on Sunday, taking hostage its six Kenyan and six Sri Lankan crew after intercepting the freighter by speedboat. It was the third hijacking in two years of a ship hired to carry relief supplies by the U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP). Penny Ferguson, WFP spokeswoman in neighboring Kenya, said the United Nations understood the vessel was anchored off Bargal, a port in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region.

"We also understand a U.S. warship is heading to that area but that it is still in international waters," Ferguson said. "There has been no contact yet from the pirates and our biggest concern remains for the safety of the crew."The ship, chartered by WFP from Mombasa-based Motaku Shipping Agency, was seized after unloading 1,800 metric tonnes of food aid at two northern Somali ports. Somali pirates seized three Motaku vessels in 2005, holding one and its crew hostage for nearly 100 days. Two of those ships had been carrying WFP cargoes.

The culprits? The usual suspects.Experts say a band of pirates based in Harardheere port have regrouped and are thought to have been behind Sunday's attack and two unsuccessful hijacking attempts earlier this year.

Their M.O.? The usual.The pirates use speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and grenades, according to the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia.

On a personal note: My grandfather was in the merchant marine. He crewed on a ESSO oil tanker and frequently sailed off the Horn of Africa...

The blast flung blood-soaked notebooks and backpacks among the lifeless bodies and wounded. Cement walls were pockmarked by the hail of ball bearings. Parents rushed to the site and some collapsed in tears after learning their children were killed or injured. Students used rags and towels to try to mop up the blood.

Of course, Mooktada al-Sadr had to step up to the mike and blame the US. He doesn't appear in public to say this - no, he's still in hiding somewhere (hopefully getting some much needed dentistry work done). The leader speaks. ( and I'm wondering if it's with a lisp.)

"Here we are, watching car bombs continue to explode to harvest thousands of innocent lives from our beloved people in the middle of a security plan controlled by an occupier," said a statement read to hundreds of cheering supporters by an al-Sadr aide in Baghdad...""To my Shiite and Sunni brothers, I say, `Let us scorn sectarianism and hoist the banner of unity,'" said the statement from al-Sadr, whose militia is blamed for frequent execution-style slayings of Sunni rivals.Since the security crackdown began, the number of bodies thought to be victims of Shiite death squads has gone down dramatically in Baghdad, but there has been no respite from violence blamed on Sunni insurgents."

To all my Shiite and Sunni brothers, I say, "Let us scorn Islamic fundamentalism and hoist the banner of Iraqi democracy, liberty and freedom."

James Taylor and Randy Newman. I don't think I can do anymore of this. Hollyweird is so out of it to me. Okay a moonbat triple banger. The gay girl tuxedo look, breast cancer survivor and inconvenient truth.. This is so pitiful to me. Like those Palestinian telethons you hear about. Such genuine outrage and oh my god they have the global warming propaganda scroll running in the background. I fear for western civ. Ack! al-Gore and Leo

Bonus Oscar Hollyweird SpecialAlan Arkin reading your speech is instant buzz kill. Just like Ellen's outfit. I'm embarrassed for both Ellen and Martin Scorsese. Oh God. Pilobolus? What's next Topo Gigio? No. It's James Taylor and Randy Newman. I rest my case.Oh Dear. Now the everywoman Dove ad. I swear the things people will do. Kind of like joining a team blog...

It's from the ever questionable and now actionable wICKipedia but it's about Hollyweird so it's probably close enough for the Academy...

Nominations

Today, according to Rules 2 and 3 of the official Academy Awards Rules, a film has to open in the previous calendar year (frommidnightat the start ofJanuary 1to midnight at the end ofDecember 31) inLos Angeles County, California, to qualify.[7]Rule 2 states that a film must be "feature-length" (defined as at least 40 minutes) to qualify for an award (except for Short Subject awards). It must also exist either on a35mmor70mmfilm print OR on a 24fps or 48fpsprogressive scandigital filmprint with a native resolution no lower than 1280x720.The members of the various branches nominate those in their respective fields (actors are nominated by the actors' branch, etc.) while all members may submit nominees for Best Picture. The winners are then determined by a second round of voting in which all members are then allowed to vote in all categories.[8]

Bonus Oscar liveblogging...mercifully it's only a half hour showI am watching the AbC's Road to the Red Carpet and may I say that Andre Leon Talley of Vogue should be ashamed of himself. Jennifer Hudson did not need the Batwing treatment. Why am I reminded of Gone With The Wind and Mammy with her red silk petticoarts. Did you know AlSharpton was related to Strom Thurmond. Did you know al-Sharpton also calls for unity at National Islam Conference. OMG - I'm watching Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Patricia Fields now and getting TART BURN. Cameron Diaz. Unmade bed syndrome. Penelope Cruz. Great gal. Great dress. Not the best do for her. Oh no - not Andre Leon again. Lisa Ling is so great on National Geographic. Not so great here. Cate Blanchett looks fantastic. Great hair, dress and makeup - the total package. Ryan Gosling is a great actor and he is a funny guy. This whole thing is so silly to me. Yet here I am, checking it out. Kate Winslet. Pretty and professional. I'd love to get a close up of those earrings. Lisa Ling cutting her off. Helen Mirren. I'm sorry I just don't love her dress. She needs to cover up those old lady chicken breasts with something sheer - otherwise she's a gorgeous dame...Andre's here. Get the hook. Do this year's Oscars seem distinctly lacking in glamour and style? Yikes. And I don't like them being so early in the year either. Sign me. Hollyweirded out.

Cameron is holding a New York press conference on Monday at which he will reveal three coffins, supposedly those of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene.

And may I sincerely say to Jim's ex-wife Linda Hamilton (my idol in The Terminator Series) I hope you are relishing his 50 million dollars,honey because that divorce settlement (2nd largest in Hollyweird history) couldn't have happened to a better guy.

From theNY POST: Angelina, A Babe Amid BrainiacsThe prestigious Council on Foreign Relations is about to get a jolt of sex appeal. The exclusive, Manhattan-based foreign-policy group has decided to admit actress Angelina Jolie, a U.N. goodwill ambassador who has taken more than 30 trips worldwide to advocate for refugees, AIDS orphans and disaster victims. On Friday night, the council's membership accepted Jolie's nomination - meaning she will soon be rubbing elbows with other club members such as Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell and Alan Greenspan.

The group requires no academic credentials (ed. note: Angelina has a high school diploma.) but looks for members who take part in world affairs. Many current members call Jolie qualified and support her induction. "Bring her on," said Dr. Gordon Adams, an international-affairs professor. "The idea of having Henry Kissinger and Angelina Jolie in the same organization is dazzling." Member Carol Adelman, former head of U.S. foreign-aid programs, said, "It's not like Paris Hilton is being nominated."

"Jolie's former girlfriend Jenny Shimziu tells the programme, the 100 Greatest Sex Symbols: "I don't think there's one person that would say no to Angelina, in bed or just having a cup of coffee with her."Aah! Hollyweird.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

The Jakarta Post:Jakarta to host meeting between Hamas and WestIn an effort to help Hamas convey its vision on the Middle East and persuade Western countries to end its economic blockade of the Palestinian government, Indonesia has invited representatives from Hamas, the U.S. and Europe to hold talks in Jakarta next month. (Hamas vision: A world without Israel and America.)

Foreign Ministry spokesman Desra Percaya said Friday that Hamas must be involved in any process aimed at solving the Palestinian internal conflicts as well as the Palestine-Israel war, since the party got the majority of votes in the last election.(AJimmuh Cartercertified election, too!)

"Beside, Hamas' voice on the solution to the conflict has never been directly heard by the others. The forum will be used for this purpose," said Desra, who is also the ministry's director for international security and disarmament.(Yes. By all means, let's give those terror-cidal maniacs a voice. Hmm. Director for Intl Security and disarmament, you say? Tell me sir, isn't that just a tad oxymoronic?)

Indonesia, he said, had received assurances from Syrian-based Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal that he would send envoys to Jakarta for the talks.(Hopefully, they will leave their bombs at home.)

Desra did not give an exact date for the meeting but said it would take place before the end of March. He added that Indonesia would also try to influence Hamas policies in order to end the Western economic embargo and win the release of tax revenue to the Palestinian government.(blah-blah-blah)

Desra said Western countries had frozen the funds because they wanted Hamas to renounce violence, recognize Israel, and pledge to respect previous agreements. "We would like to help on these three aspects. The meeting is important and relevant because we don't think the three issues will be solved anytime soon. Khaled Meshaal has made clear the importance and relevance of the dialog," he said.(more blah-blah-blah)...

Hamas took control of the Palestinian government in March after winning parliamentary elections. The U.S.-led boycott of the Hamas-led government has pushed the Palestinian Authority to the brink of financial collapse and raised poverty rates in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank. A report by the UN World Food Program, released Thursday, estimated that nearly half of Palestinians were unable to produce or acquire the food they needed.(I think they're too busy blowing up Jews for that)

Friday, February 23, 2007

Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut fired a shot across the bow of the Senate's Democratic majority, warning them he may bolt the party and join the GOP if Congress votes to withhold funding for the war in Iraq.

The move would give Republicans control of the Senate, since Democrats hold the majority by one vote.

Lieberman, who calls himself an "independent Democrat," has been among the strongest supporters of the war on terror and President Bush's plan for a troop surge in Iraq.

"I have no desire to change parties," Lieberman said in an interview published Thursday on politico.com. "If that ever happens, it is because I feel the majority of Democrats have gone in a direction that I don't feel comfortable with."

Lieberman cited the upcoming showdown over new funding for the war could be a deciding factor that would lure him to the GOP. Several Democrats, led by Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, have been agitating for a funding cut-off.

"I hope we don't get to that point," he said. "That's about all I will say on it today. That would hurt."

Four Swedes have been arrested in Somalia on suspicion of possibly having fought alongside Islamic militants, but the four have not yet been charged, Swedish officials told CNN.

"Four Swedes have been arrested in connection with the unrest in Somalia," Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesman Andre Mkandawire told CNN.Three of the four were Swedish citizens, while the fourth had permanent residency status, said Mkandawire. "But all four are being treated equally as Swedes."

"...It is not clear precisely where, when and by whom the four have been detained. Jens Odlander -- Sweden's ambassador for the Somali peace process who is based in the Swedish Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya -- said the four apparently were seized as they were fleeing a war zone, possibly in early January. No charges have been filed against the four detained people at the present time, Odlander told CNN from Nairobi...Two were in bad health when they were seized, and one of them had been held in Kenya for a while.

Odlander said there are ongoing talks on the detentions, but would not provide more details about them, saying the diplomatic situation is very sensitive at the moment.

Maybe this will help:

Sweden has decided to be involved in helping Somalia's war-wracked economy and infrastructure. The Swedish government said on Monday it would give Somalia's transitional government financial aid for its long-term development -- about $7 million for 2007, and humanitarian aid amounting to $14 million.

A senior Ethiopian official yesterday denied a report in The New York Times detailing the close and largely clandestine collaboration between Ethiopia and the United States to kill or capture leaders of Al Qaeda in the Horn of Africa.

U.S. Used Base in Ethiopia to Hunt Al Qaeda (February 23, 2007) “The New York Times has fabricated this story, and if there is any Pentagon official whom they are quoting, then that official does not have the slightest knowledge of the region or Ethiopia,” Bereket Simon, a close adviser to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, told Reuters.

The Times report, published yesterday, chronicled how the American military had provided the Ethiopians with intelligence on the whereabouts of Islamic militants in Somalia and described how American AC-130 gunships had conducted strikes on Qaeda suspects using an airstrip in eastern Ethiopia.

The article was based on interviews with American officials, who agreed to discuss the collaboration because they saw it as relatively successful in disrupting terrorist networks in the region.

Read the rest of the articleHEREat Maverick. P.S. Don't forget to go beneath the fold for some very good scoopage. And the islam-o-rat's ID.

Abu is talking about the second rape allegation leveled against Iraqi forces this week. Are we seeing a trend? Too soon to call but you might want to check out the details of the first case here: Duke Rape Case Iraqi style?

About the second assault:Also Thursday, an Iraqi official said four Iraqi soldiers were accused of raping a 50-year-old Sunni woman and the attempted rape of her two daughters — the second allegation of sexual assault leveled against Iraqi forces this week.

Brig. Gen. Nijm Abdullah said the alleged attack took place about 10 days ago in the northern city of Tal Afar during a search for weapons and insurgents. A lieutenant and three enlisted men denied the charge but later confessed after they were confronted by the woman, a Turkoman, Abdullah said. He said a fifth soldier suspected something was wrong, burst into the house and forced the others at gunpoint to stop the assault.

A second rape allegation within a single week is likely to undermine further the reputation of Iraq's security services, which the U.S. hopes can take over from coalition troops so the Americans and their allies can go home.

The al-Qaida in Iraq leader, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri, purportedly called on his followers to step up attacks on Iraqi security forces to avenge the alleged rapes.

He also claimed in an audio tape that 300 followers have volunteered for suicide missions within hours of hearing news of the alleged rape in Baghdad, which the woman said took place in a police garrison.

The authenticity of the tape has not yet been verified.

Funny. You don't see 300 Duke Lacrosse players lining up to strap on suicide belts in the wake of the Duke rape case, do you?

And remember how I hoped that our troops would be able to put the bombers and their evil boom-boom room out of commission ASAP?

Well, bless their hearts. It looks like they might have done that very thing...

From the Deseret News:US soldiers in Iraq find car bomb factory."The raid on the car bomb factory occurred late Tuesday in the volatile western province of Anbar, U.S. authorities said. U.S. troops discovered a pickup truck and three other vehicles that were being prepared as car bombs, as well as detonation material in five buildings. "We also found ingredients to be used to devise or enhance explosives, such as fertilizer and chlorine cylinders," Odierno(Lt. Gen Ray, our #2 man in Iraq) told Pentagon reporters by video-link."

Oh, great. The islamoCOWards had fertilizer, too."The raid on the car bomb factory occurred late Tuesday in the volatile western province of Anbar, U.S. authorities said. U.S. troops discovered a pickup truck and three other vehicles that were being prepared as car bombs, as well as detonation material in five buildings. "We also found ingredients to be used to devise or enhance explosives, such as fertilizer and chlorine cylinders," Odierno told Pentagon reporters by video-link. "

About chlorine gas:"With low levels of exposure, chlorine, which was used as a weapon in World War I, can cause breathing problems and irritate the skin. At high levels, it is fatal."

About UN weapon expert David Kay and chlorine:"Experts say chlorine is used as a disinfectant and is widely available in Iraq, which the U.N. long suspected of trying to build a chemical weapons arsenal. But former U.N. weapons inspector David Kay said U.N. experts paid little attention to "garden variety" industrial-grade chemicals such as fertilizers and chlorine unless they were found in large quantities or near weapons plants. Major cities such as Baghdad stocked chlorine for water treatment."

Bad Karmah:"The discovery of the car bomb factory Tuesday took place in the town of Karmah, 50 miles west of the capital."

BONUS ISLAMOPERPS: In the interview the general also indicated that at least two suspects have been arresting in the downing of 8 (!) helicopters. Details remain sketchy but if true, this would be EXCELLENT news. Stay tuned....

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Doctors Call Padilla Unfit for Terrorism Trial.MIAMI (Reuters) - Former "enemy combatant" Jose Padilla is mentally unfit to stand trial on terrorism charges and physically unable to tell his lawyers what happened to him in a U.S. military prison, doctors who examined him for the defense said in court on Thursday.The doctors testified that Padilla, held by presidential order for 3-1/2 years in a military brig without being charged, is also unable to tell his lawyers anything about the time he spent in Afghanistan and Egypt, where the government alleges he conspired with Islamist terrorists to maim and murder people. If asked to review taped conversations that will be used as evidence, he breaks into a sweat, hunches over and rocks back and forth, the doctors said.

"He hits a stone wall and his logic shuts down," said Dr. Angela Hegarty, a neuropsychiatrist who examined Padilla in his Miami jail cell. "His overwhelming anxiety interferes with his reasoning."

Finally! I've worked my way down through the Tower of Power reading pile at my bedside to begin Oriana Fallaci's,THE RAGE AND THE PRIDE.I started reading it last night and let me tell you this jumped off the page at me. I have a feeling there will be a lot of those:

"The Imam is a leading figure who directs and administers his community with full authority and power. Pious Throat-Cutter or not, virtuous Bleeder or not, he is a high priest who manipulates and influences without any limit the minds and actions of his followers.An agit-prop who during the Friday Prayer flings any sort of political messages. All the so-called Revolutions of Islam Began through the Imams in the mosques, and the so-called Iranian Revolution began through the Imams in the mosques. Not the Universities as the aforesaid grandchidren (ed. note: deniers and appeasers of communism and fascism - sounds like the lefties would be included as well.) want us to believe. Behind every Islamic terrorist there is an Imam, and Khomeini was an imam. The major leaders of Iran were and are Imams (too many) are spiritual guides of terrorism. Thus, morally speaking, terrorists themselves."

Which brings us to the longtime imam of Somalia's largest mosque, Sheikh Abdirahman Abdi Ulusow.He was detained today.

"The Sheikh is widely respected for his religious knowledge and for taking care of theIsbahaysiga Mosqueduring the civil war era, said people close to him. Other detained individuals include an instructor at a local college and another sheikh who was closely associated with the ousted Islamist movement. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, government security sources informed Garowe Online that the individuals were arrested for questioning in connection with near daily attacks in Mogadishu.

The status of the Religion of Cut-And-Run-And-Then-Conduct-Cowardly-Attacks:The Somali government claims more than 3,000 Islamist fighters remained underground in the capital after their leaders and other militia forces withdrew from the city in December, as heavily armed Ethiopian combat troops approached. A Somali Islamist group calling itself “Muqaawama” (aka: The Popular Resistance Movement in the Land of Two Migrations)has claimed responsibility for the rising violence. The same group threatened suicide attacks against African Union peacekeepers if they deployed in Somalia.

Good news: There's somebody out there that gets it.Somali pres sees no difference between moderates, radicals.Somalia’s interim president has once again dismissed any negotiation between his government and the recently ousted Islamic Courts movement. In a Tuesday interview with Yemeni media, President Abdullahi Yusuf said he makes no distinction between “moderate” and “radical” elements within the Islamists.“I believe that the leaders of the Islamic Courts are criminals who committed crimes against the nation and the population, therefore how can I talk to such people?”

Update: Before I finished posting this came across the wire:Somalia Imam Regains His Freedom The imam of Somalia’s largest mosque was released later Thursday after authorities held him for nearly 24 hours, our correspondent in Mogadishu reported...Sheikh Abdirahman said another member of the Isbahaysiga Mosque, Sheikh Abdiwahab Abdullahi Hashi, was still in jail.Rats.

Muhammad Sarwar, the killer belongs to Ahle Hadith, a local religious vigilante group, and had allegedly killed four prostitutes in 2002, but who was acquitted for want of evidence.

About Ahl-Hadith: (source:wICKipedia. editing:Dinah)Ahl Hadith is an Islamic school of thought emerging in South Asia in the 1830's. Its members reject the Sunni schools of Islamic law emphasizing what members say are the original principles of Islam ala the Salafists.

I guess that's what the police meant when they said this about the hateful hardware guy:"Police said that Sarwar has "his own interpretation of Islam". Sarwar told interrogators that he was fired by a passion to purge society of women who defy Islamic customs. "

More about those Middle Class Islamic family values:"Sarwar owns a hardware shop in Gujranwala and has nine children - four sons and five daughters. He had ordered his wife and daughters to stay at home and veil their faces."

Oh, and about Ahl-i Hadith?"There is an active branch in Great Britain with over forty mosques and community centres throughout the country. Members established a head office in Birmingham since 1975.

With tentacles back to Pakistan:There is a central executive committee (Majlis-e Amal) which seeks to guide the Ahl-i Hadith establishment in Pakistan.

The UK bunch ishere. According to their site they are living in the Dar-ul-Harb and loving it. They state:Islam is also the basis of the civilisation and the politics of the state. The teachings of Islam provide guidelines for the betterment of life, in this world as well as life in the hereafter. Islam does not inculcate in it's followers priesthood and celibacy. It is not an escape from the material life or it's difficultis (sic)and comforts. Islam is not a faith which allows it's followers to be blindly faithful to the inherited customs and the primitive rites of the ancestors.

They even have their own constitution:Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith has its own Constitution which outlines the ways and methods to be adopted by the Jamiat for furthering its objective.And they proudly state: This constitution is accepted and recognised by theCharity Commission. I was able to find two organizations.Thisone. And thisone.

BAMAKO, February 22 -- Former Tuareg rebels in Mali will form special police units to combat terrorism and weapons trafficking in their country's northern deserts, according to a peace deal with the Malian government finalised in Algiers, state news agency reported on Wednesday.

Military units made up of Tuareg nomads will patrol Mali's northern deserts and scrubland, the haunt of armed groups believed to co-operate with the former Salafist Group for Call and Combat, also known as GSPC, Algeria's APS news agency reported on Tuesday.

Western and North African governments believe the GSPC, an al-Qaeda affiliate that last month changed its name to al-Qaeda in North Africa, is seeking to work more closely with other Islamic militants around the region.

The Malian government and the former rebel group, which is known as the May 23 2006 Alliance for Democratic Change, agreed to the new police force and other measures that finalized their peace deal.

They hammered out an initial deal in July, also in Algeria. Mali's large northern neighbour has quietly mediated in the conflict since it erupted in May 2006.

The peace deal committed the government to step up development of three northern centres - Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu, officials said, and the desert rebels to drop autonomy demands.

The nomadic Tuaregs led a rebellion in the early 1990s to protest what they claim is the government's failure to develop the poor northern regions, but many were later integrated into the army as part of the initial peace deal.

Algeria has helped establish a camp in Kidal, where at least 3 000 Tuareg troops will undergo training. An international forum in the province is slated for March with the goal of drumming up funding for the project. - Sapa

The Tuareg people are predominently nomadic people of the Sahara desert, mostly in the Northern reaches of Mali near Timbuktu and Kidal. The Tuareg are often referred to as "Blue Men of the desert " - because their robes are dyed indigo blue. They live in small tribes with between 30 and 100 family members and keep camels, goats, cattle and chicken which graze the land. They are a proud race of people, famous for their fighting abilities and artwork, now staring urbanisation and resettlement in the face. The sword is a Tuareg's most valued possession. Many are passed from generation to generation and said to be protected by the victories of its past owners.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Oh boy. The Malaysian chapter of the Religion of Peace and Paid Sex Spies, or Mat Skoding as they say, are on a roll with their "ingenuous plan" to:

"...avert soaring cases of close proximity and vice here, the Terengganu Government has initiated an ingenious plan where “Mat Skoding” or spies will be recruited to tip-off the state religious department of immoral activities. “Mat Skoding” will be part of the voluntary squad, under the guidance of state religious advisors, acting as vigilantes here. State Islam Hadhari and Welfare Committee chairman Datuk Rosol Wahid said: “Some of these ‘spies’ could be waitresses or even janitors at hotels acting as auxiliary undercover agents for our religious department.”

The “Mat Skoding” would be rewarded for their tip-offs, he told The Star here yesterday.Rosol said the trained “spies” would be on the lookout for unmarried couples behaving suspiciously or for vice activities throughout the state. “Accurate details are required for the enforcement officers to act, otherwise they would be pouncing on married couples,” he said.Rosol said the “spies” would keep surveillance at parks and secluded areas to nab dating couples intending to engage in sex.

They busted in on this American couple, (aged 62 and 61) in their vacation condo back in October.

It's Thursday, February 22 in Malaysia now and the authorities are doing a little bit of backtracking. Don't worry they assure us - they're going to be spying on Muslims only.

Suspected Muslim insurgents set fire to Thai-Malaysia rubber warehouseBANGKOK: Suspected Muslim insurgents in southern Thailand set fire Wednesday to a large warehouse for rubber jointly owned by Malaysians and Thais. Smoke blanketed large areas of Yala province as more than 30 fire trucks struggled to douse the flames, police Col. Col. Phumphet Pipatpetphum said. The fire followed a bold, coordinated assault by separatist rebels which killed eight people and wounded nearly 70 in a 24-hour period beginning Sunday night. Three people were arrested shortly after the attacks, Lt. Gen. Viroj Buajaroon, regional commander for the south, said Tuesday....

Who were these brave, cough syrup swilling, charm carrying "insurgents' ?Viroj said it was still unclear which group was responsible for Sunday's attacks - which included 29 bombings within 45 minutes - but the three arrested suspects had linked the violence to an Islamic militant group and given information about others involved. He said some were trained by a group known as Runda Kumpulan Kecil, but declined to provide more details. The shadowy organization is believed by some terrorism experts to refer more to an informal network of separatists who allegedly received indoctrination and training in Indonesia. The insurgents have not announced their goals, but are believed to be fighting for a separate state under Islamic administration. Viroj said the suspects carried amulets and charms on their bodies and took narcotics and cough syrup to bolster their courage before carrying out the attacks.

The impact:The fire at the largest rubber warehouse in Yala, owned by the Southern Land Rubber Co., a joint venture between Thai and Malaysian businessmen, started shortly after midnight and it was still burning more than eight hours later. Kiert Kitikulseritham, the company manager, said all 400 tons of rubber sheets were believed to have been destroyed, with losses estimated at 400 million baht (US$11.8 million; euro9 million). He said the company's 500 workers may lose their jobs. "We will discuss what to do next but I think we may have to shut down the company because there is no safety here. We risk both life and property from the ongoing violence,'' Kiert told reporters... Rubber production is one of the few viable industries in the rural provinces of southern Thailand and the Yala company was the only major smoked rubber sheet enterprise in the deep south.

A U.S. federal court ordered the FBI on Tuesday to show more evidence against a U.S. citizen accused of training with al Qaeda militants in Somalia and delayed ruling on whether he can be held without bail, Reuters reports.

The government also alleges Daniel Joseph Maldonado, also known as Daniel Aljughaifi, "conspired to use a weapon of mass destruction" but has yet to provide evidence that he built or possessed a bomb...

At the preliminary hearing, his lawyer Brent Newton said the government had not made its case to hold and prosecute Maldonado and had not given enough information to test the evidence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Cobe countered that Newton had all the information the law required this early in a case. But U.S. Magistrate Calvin Botley extended the hearing.

"I want to be fair to both sides," Botley said, adding he intended to rule on whether there was probable cause to continue holding Maldonado no later than Wednesday.

Maldonado also allegedly received training on TNT and nitrates from this man.

The feds said Maldonado was willing to fight on behalf of al-Qaida, and that he even offered to be a suicide bomber if he was wounded in battle and was no longer able to fight on the front lines...

According to the complaint, Maldonado was provided an AK-47, equipped with military combat uniforms and boots in Mogadishu, and participated in training camps in Kismaayo and Jilib. The camps included physical fitness, firearms and explosives training — all in preparation to go to the front to fight for the ICU.

Al-Qaida members were allegedly present at the training camp.

Maldonado was captured by the Kenyan military on Jan. 21 as he fled to avoid Ethiopian and Somalian forces, according to federal agents.

You know, I bet this character thought he was some big, tough, badass mo-huncher. Isn't it a shame he got caught running like a yellow bellied dog with his tail tucked between his legs. Not only that, he had his three kids in tow. His poor wife? She died of malaria while following his jihad with him. What a man!I sure hope the feds have what it takes to put this guy out of commission until he goes throughCriminal Menopause.

Srinagar, Feb 19: Notwithstanding threat by a militant group, a private television channel is going ahead with an audition for boys and girls here on Wednesday to enable them to compete in the forthcoming third edition of `Indian Idol`, a singing competition of the channel.

Encouraged by the success of local boy Qazi Taqeer in the talent hunt show of `Fame Gurukul`, the television channel is organizing an audition for interested boys and girls of Kashmir, a spokesman of the channel told reporters here today.

He said that in the earlier two editions of Indian Idol, audition was restricted to six cities of the country but to attract more aspirants the audition is being held at 12 cities this time.

Meanwhile, al-Midana militant outfit has asked the locals not to participate in the show and threatened to kill those who will participate in the show."We appeal to boys and girls of Kashmir not to participate in the talent hunt..", a spokesman of the outfit Abu Sadiq told news organisations here.

He said no lenency (sic)would be shown against those who defy the ban on the show imposed by the outfit.

Fromwikipedia(groan - I know) but I found this interesting (if true). Countries in blue have Idol competitions and film them. The countries in green (mostly Middle Eastern) have competitions but DO NOT film them. What's up with that, I wonder? Also surprising - it looks like there's no Mexican Idol.

The Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security had a noble mission when it was set up three years ago: to engage the country's ethnic communities in Canada's fight against terrorism. Some now call it the "circus."

It sounds like they should sell tickets to this thing - or at least put it on the tv:

The first speaker, Ahmed Motiar, started off by sharing his curious theories of the 9/11 attacks, claiming that “Muslims were not involved and seven of the alleged 19 hijackers are alive and well!”

Then Cheryfa Jamal(see above)complained about a Canadian military exercise she said was held outside her children’s Islamic school.(Hubby is one of the 18 men belonging to a terrorist group that was allegedly plotting truck bombings in downtown Toronto.)

“You’re asking us here to have a dialogue, to bring our communities together, yet this is the kind of actions that we’re facing every day,” she said.

“My children came home upset. They thought the Americans had landed.”

“Good lord,” sighed another participant, before the meeting digressed into a shouting match between rival Muslim factions. (see what I mean about the tv deal? Call Jerry Springer!)

Those canny Canadians. Imagine using Hollywood Action Movie Tactics to catch terrorists! I guess, that means they used bad scripts and lots of hot scantily clad babes?

A speaker accused the RCMP of instigating last summer's terrorist plot by planting an informant inside the cell.

Another complained that police had used "Hollywood action movie" tactics to arrest the Toronto terror suspects. "The humiliating way which has been used in arresting them, it really hurts the community. It annoys us and it make Muslims feel we are unfairly targeted."

The lone voice crying out in the wilderness:

A rare voice of support came from Munir Pervaiz of the Muslim Canadian Congress, who told the officials they need not apologize for what they do to protect Canadians. "You should be very aggressive, very assertive."

A 12-year-old Muslim girl has lost a legal challenge to her school's ban on wearing the niqab full-face veil. Lawyers for the girl and her father had argued that the ban was "irrational" and a breach of her human rights.

But Mr Justice Silber rejected their plea for a judicial review.

The girl's lawyers said after the judgment that she and her family were "bitterly disappointed" and were considering an appeal.

The judge was told at a recent hearing that the girl's three elder sisters all attended the same school - two of them under the present headteacher - and all wore the niqab. (ed.note: must have been before Muslims started blowing up buildings and stuff.)

But when the girl - referred to only as X - began wearing the veil last September, the school objected on the grounds it would make communication and learning difficult.

The veil covers all of the face except the eyes.

About 120 of the school's 1,300-plus pupils are Muslims, and up to 60 of them wear the hijab headscarf, though no others are thought to be demanding the right to wear the niqab.

The girl is currently receiving tuition at home and has been offered a place at a different, mixed school which permits the niqab, but she wants to go back to her original school.

The girl's solicitor, Shah Qureshi, said after the ruling: "This is a case about religious tolerance and the freedom to practice your religion as long as it does not interfere with others.

"This freedom is enshrined within Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. My client and her family are not the extremists that they have been portrayed as by some elements of the press.

"All she wants is to be able to practice her deeply held beliefs whilst getting on with her daily life. She is not impinging on the rights of others and has always been willing to meet with the school to reach a resolution."

Gohereto enjoy a slide show depicting various degrees of veiling/curtainmunching.